April 2010 Paddock Paper
Northern New Mexico Horsemen's Association
April Minutes and Announcements
- The general meeting began at 7pm.
- Introductions of all attending.
Betsy – asked for mailing volunteers.
Trish – Info re: Ridge Rider Ride.
Shelley – Bob Allen Clinic info.
Eldon – Info re: Emergency Preparedness/Evacuation Clinic.
Lori – NNMHA Scholarship available, please advise students you know.
Trish – La Tierra Trails public meeting Thursday, 5/13 at Gonzales Elementary School, 851 W. Alameda, Santa Fe. Please attend as equestrians need voices regarding public trail use.
Karen – 8/8/10 is the Donkey and Mule Association’s “Meet a Mule Day”.- Doug Lanham and Sharon Eliashar, a filmmaker, gave a presentation regarding The Spanish Mustang Association and the Brislawn Family’s Spanish Mustang Association.
- Meeting ends at 8:15.
April Speaker
Our guest speakers were Doug Lanham, President of The Spanish Mustang Foundation Board of Directors, and filmmaker, Sharon Eliashar. Mr. Lanham began his involvement with the Spanish Mustangs in the late 1990’s and has been an active supporter of the Brislawn Family and Spanish Mustang Registry. He is currently a board member of the Horse Shelter and the Espanola Valley Humane Society.Sharon Eliashar is doing a film for the Spanish Mustang Foundation, documenting the history of the Spanish mustang on the North American continent. Her presentation was interesting, informative, and extremely well presented. Ms. Eliashar went through the entire history of the horse as a species, and specifically the history of the Spanish Mustang on this continent. The Spanish Mustang is not to be confused with the BLM Mustang.
Horses have migrated as a species across the Bering Strait several times. The last time was approximately 8,000 years ago when they crossed to Asia and died out in North America. The first indication of domestication of horses comes from the Black Sea region and dates back to about 5500 years ago. The proof? Fossils of horse jaws from that period show bit wear. The first domestications were probably for the horses’ meat and milk.
The horse was one of the greatest technological leaps for humanity. Ms. Eliashar: “The horse gave the wheel its purpose.” The horse changed human transportation, mobility and survival. The oldest horse breed known is the Arabian. The Moors conquered Spain and brought their horses with them. The Spanish war horse was a mixture of Arabian/ Barb bred with northern horses – Andalusian – for strength. The current Andalusian breed is not the same horse that exists in Andalucia, Spain today.
Christopher Columbus brought the highly bred Spanish war horse to North America. The horses that survived the horrible conditions of travel across the Atlantic were incredibly strong. In 1510 Coronado brought horses to the south/southwest part of the U.S. Horses and human disease allowed the Spanish to easily conquer the native populations of North America. During the Pueblo Revolt thousands of horses were let loose. This was their introduction to the native people and the Native American horse culture began. The horse revolutionized the nomadic/plains Indian’s way of life. It freed the people to explore art and spirituality.
Wild horses have been on this continent for the last 500 years. North American horses seem to be “hard wired” to survive in the American West. Horses that came to this continent evolved quickly – within a few hundred years their hooves had changed, they got smarter, and they got bigger.
The American West flourished with the introduction of horses. However, in 1793 the US Congress passed a law that said that no Indian horses were allowed to be owned by Indians, and no Indian horses were to be traded. The laws sought the extermination of the native horses in favor of European horses more recently brought to the continent. There were a series of laws/acts to weaken the native people. It was the policy of the government to decimate the bison and mustang populations to force the native people to turn to farming as a way of life. It was the stated policy that they would become farmers or be “exterminated.”
Today, the Brislawn family live in the northeast corner of Wyoming. They now have 400 Spanish Mustangs. They wanted to find the original Spanish horse to preserve it as a species (not as breeding stock), and started with two Blackfoot ponies. They tried to find more, but could not. After starting their herd they decided to start the Spanish Mustang Registry. Doug Lanham described the physical characteristics of the Spanish Mustang. Generally, they are about 14 hands tall, 1000 to 1500 lbs., straight forehead, convex nose, well/ heavily crested necks, narrow deep A shape chest, long strided gait (can be laterally gaited), very hardy, and not prone to injury. Colors? Every color and combination you can imagine
For photos and more information about the Spanish Mustang, visit the Foundation’s website at www.spanishmustangfoundation.org/ or email info@spanishmustangfoundation.org. —Phillip Bachicha
Calendar of NNMHA Events
May 16 – Ridge Riders ride at the Ball Ranch Allotment (BLM).
May 26th – General Meeting – Susan Smith: “Ortho-Bionomy for Equines” A registered practitioner, Susan Smith has adapted those bodywork principles to suit a being who stands on four legs most of the time, lowers its head to the ground to eat, and whose structure is designed for speed, agility and performance. Susan will do a demo on 2-3 horses to show how Equine Ortho-Bionomy can address such issues as structural imbalance, lameness, trauma, chronic and acute injuries, joint pain and stiffness and behavioral issues. Meeting to be held on the grounds of NNMHA. Bring a brown bag dinner if desired; meeting announcements will begin at 6:30 and Susan’s demo will start around 6:45. www.susith.com/orthohorse
June 13 – Horsemanship Challenge at the NNMHA arena
June – No general meeting – Need office volunteers for rodeo stall rentals June 23 – 26
July 11 – Horsemanship Challenge at the NNMHA arena
July 28th – General Meeting – Karyn Ogonowski from the Enchantment Driving Society will give an overview of carriage driving, a sport for all ages. Driving is something any horse person can take up even after they are older and perhaps cannot sit a horse to ride as often. Driving allows for the idea that we can be 80 and still be going strong with our beloved horses. Karyn will also let us know about the many clinics EDS will be offering this year, from beginners to a Combined Driving Event which includes dressage, cones and obstacles.
August 25th – General Meeting – Rick Iannucci, Director of “Horses for Heroes – New Mexico, Inc.”, a unique horse therapy program based in Santa Fe, NM, free to veterans and active military who have sustained physical injuries or combat trauma during their time serving our country. Find out more about their program “Horses for Heroes – Cowboy Up” at www.horsesforheroes.org
Ridge Riders
Find the latest trail ride information – Ridge Riders.
In The News
Catch up on the latest – In The News.
Other Equine ActivitiesBe sure to check out the Other Equine Activities webpage for more fun events to attend.
ClassifiedsCheck out our Classifieds page for boarding opportunities, tack, horses and services.